File this under things I used to know and forgot, or things I vaguely know.

There are two different types of Eclipses, Lunar and Solar. That much I knew, but the details were what eluded me. Hence, the post.

I’ve never seen either type, and I guess it will be a long time until I do. 2008 was a good year for eclipses in North America, with both a Total Lunar and Total Solar Eclipse occurring. Drat.

Anyway, I put together a handy-dandy chart that explains the types of eclipses, for your reference and mine. I used a lot of sources for this one, but found Mr. Eclipse’s site particularly helpful. I left out most of the nerdtacular detail, so go there if you’re seeking info on penumbras, etc.








Lunar Solar
Diagram
What’s Going On The moon passes through part of the Earth’s shadow. Only occurs during a Full Moon. The moon passes between the Earth and the Sun. Only occurs during a New Moon.
Types (click for example pics)
  • Total:
    The moon turns red.

  • Partial: Part of the moon has a shadow cast on it.
  • Total:
    The big one- The Moon blocks out the sun completely.

  • Partial:
    The Moon blocks part of the Sun.

  • Annular: Like a Total, but when the Moon
    is too small in the sky and only blocks the middle of the sun.
Duration In a Total Eclipse, the “total” part lasts about an hour, the whole event is about 3 hours. For a partial, about 2 hours. About 2 to 10 minutes
When/Where Only visible at night. Everyone on the night side of Earth can see it. Only parts of the Earth that are in the direct path get to see it. During a Total Eclipse, some parts of Earth see a Total, while others see a Partial.
How Often 0-3 Times per year. An average of 1.5 per year for the last few thousand years. 2 – 5 Times per year. Usually 2 per year.
Next One December 2010 Some Time After 2015 in North America

Source: Mr. Eclipse’s primer on Solar and Lunar eclipses, space.com, and wiki.